Blood, Snow and Tears
by RedRose900
Summary: The Mockingjay Mission has been aborted, and now Katniss finds herself back in District 13 for a much longer time than she anticipated. And just because there's a war going on doesn't mean that those struggling for freedom can't also struggle with love, drama, hatred and life...
1. Land of Confusion

_I must've dreamed a thousand dreams  
Been haunted by a million screams  
But I can hear the marching feet  
They're moving into the street_

Now did you read the news today  
They say the danger's gone away  
But I can see the fire's still alight  
There burning into the night

There's too many men, too many people  
Making too many problems  
And not much love to go round  
Can't you see this is a land of confusion?

_**-Land of Confusion-Genesis**_

I slept soundly last night. That's strange for me. Usually I toss and turn all night with the horrible dreams given to me courtesy of the Capitol. But last night was different. My bed felt softer, more comfortable somehow, despite the thinness of the sheets here in District 13. I slept like the child I haven't been for so long. Un-plagued by nightmare's or demons. It's a blissful, dreamless sleep.

It would be all the more wonderful if I wasn't hooked onto a morphling drip and strapped into one of District 13's hospital beds. I must have been asleep for a long time, because it was late night when they dragged me back here yet the clock on the wall instructs me that it's nearly lunchtime. I wonder if I'll get any. I haven't seen anyone since I was brought in, but maybe someone will come with food. I haven't eaten for the longest time, and I know I must be hungry but I don't feel it. In all truth I feel peaceful. But this passes with the lunch hour when no one comes to see me. Why has no one come? I had hoped to see Prim or Gale, or even my mother. Actually, at this point I'd even be glad for a visit from Haymitch. At least he could maybe explain what was going on.

I had been with Squad 451, or The Star Squad as Finnick had taken to calling us. I remember Leeg 2 being killed by a pod. And then what? Oh, wait, I remember now.

Mutts

They had tore into the camp, a hideous burnt orange colour with feathers-although they ran on four legs. I remember running. Boggs was shouting in the background, about calling off the mission. And then what?

I remember falling. Did I die? Maybe this isn't District 13 after all. Maybe I'm dead. But I can't be, I remember the hover craft landing in 13, because I'd made a struggle as they tried to take me to the hospital. I must be hurt, but how badly?

And where is everyone?

**Just a little taster to get started. Hope you all enjoyed it and want to read more, because there's a lot to come. Please review as any and all opinions will be valued : )**

**xxxxx**


	2. Don't Look Back In Anger

So I'll start a revolution from my bed  
Cause you said the brains I had went to my head  
Step outside, summertime's in bloom  
Stand up beside the fireplace  
Take that look from off your face  
You ain't ever gonna burn my heart out

**-Don't Look Back In Anger-Oasis**

It's not until around 2 o'clock that a nurse comes in. I've spent the last few hours drifting in and out of sleep. Not the peaceful sleep like before. No, these small moments of sleep have been dogged by flashbacks which I'm not sure are real or not. I look at the nurse expectantly when she comes in. Surely she can explain. But then I see she's one of the District 13 nurses, and is unlikely to tell me anything whether she knows what happened or not. I try anyway.

"How long have I been asleep?"

She shoots me one of the typical District 13 frowns, then says

"Less than day. They just wanted you monitored after your fall?"

So I did fall. Were the mutts really there then? But what happened to the others?

"Everyone else?" I ask "Are they ok?"

"That isn't really my business to discuss" she says sharply, though I notice something else in her voice. Sorrow maybe? She's definitely upset about something. What if someone didn't make it back? What if…..what if I was the only one….

"Who's business is it then?" I ask her determinedly. The nurse eyes me for a few moments, in the process of adjusting my morphling drip.

"I believe the president will discuss the situation with you when you're in better condition"

"When will that be? I feel fine" I don't really. One of my legs is throbbing slightly and the morphling is making my head buzz. But I'm well enough, enough to talk anyway.

"The president will talk with you when you're discharged" The nurse tells me firmly "You should be free to go later tonight"

"Good" I say, attempting to prop myself up on the bed and twisting my morphling drip in the process. The nurse roughly pushes me back onto my pillows.

"I'm going to take you off the morphling now, so you should feel a slight rush in your head. Just lay back"

Slight, she said. My whole head feels like it's spinning, and I'm glad I'm not standing up.

"Settle yourself for now. I'll be back to discharge you later"

I only hear the nurses voice as she's leaving the room, the door is far out of my perspective. I'm feeling a little drowsy, tired even. Oh no, I don't want to sleep again, I don't want those images of the mutts in my head. But my eyes are closing and…

"Katniss?"

A small, familiar voice brings me back to earth. It's Prim, in a healers outfit. She must be so pleased, finally getting the uniform.

"How do you feel?" she asks me tentatively.

" I don't know" I say, because it's true. Then a thought strikes me.

"Prim….what happened to the others?"

My younger sister bites her lip and my heart begins to race.

"Prim, tell me"

"I don't know for sure…" she begins, though I know she knows something.

"Prim, please"

"All I know is that out of the thirteen of you that were sent out…only eleven came back"

My head spins violently again, and I feel a little sick. Two people, which two?

"Who didn't…."

"Katniss I don't know, they won't tell me"

Leeg 2 had died before the mutt attack. I remember that happening. So who was the other one? The other unlucky soul who never made it back?

**Again, another fairly short (and boring) chapter. I promise it's just until the story starts though. For now, you'll just have to bear with me until things kick off. **

**Note: Peeta was never part of 'The Star Squad' in this story, because if you remember from Mockingjay he was sent in as Leeg 2's replacement. In this version, the mutts attacked directly after her death so Peeta was never sent in.**


	3. Why Does It Always Rain On Me?

Sunny days  
Where have you gone?  
I get the strangest feeling you belong  
Why does it always rain on me?  
Is it because I lied when I was seventeen?  
Why does it always rain on me?  
Even when the sun is shining  
I can't avoid the lightning

-**Why Does It Always Rain On Me-Travis**

True to her word, the nurse (who's name I learn is Sarie) comes back to discharge me just before dinnertime.

"Now you need to take it easy for a bit, nothing strenuous." She says brusquely, as she helps me up from the bed. I'm still a little shaky on my feet. My mother hovers anxiously by the door as I prepare to leave.

"We were so worried about you sweetheart"

I give her a small nod. I don't have time for her right now. I know that seems harsh, but there are more important things for me to deal with at the moment.

My mother goes back to work, while Prim takes me to the cafeteria. We're halfway there when I hear a voice call from behind us.

"Katniss!"

I whirl round, and breathe a sigh of relief.

"Finnick! You're Ok?"

I'm about to ask what happened on the mission when he scoops me up into a hug, but his face turns very serious as he sets me back on the ground.

"How is he?" he asks grimly.

"Who?" I say sharply.

"Gale…..you don't know?"

I look from Finnick to Prim, who looks shocked and says

"No one told me…."

"What happened?" I ask Finnick, and though he looks reluctant he tells me.

"You fell, I think, when the mutts ran into the camp. I didn't really see because I was trying to stop one of them from ripping Mitchell's arm off. But Gale kind of threw himself over you…..he's in the hospital now. I thought you knew…."

"I didn't" I tell him. I feel sick, physically sick. Gale is hurt. Because of me.

"He'll be ok" Finnick says weakly, in what he seems to think is a reassuring tone. I just nod. I have to go see Gale, I have to…

"What else happened" Prim's voice is quiet, but it still pierces the air. "They said that two people didn't make it…"

Finnick nods mournfully.

"Yeah, I wasn't very successful in helping Mitchell. A pack of them came right at him before I could get there. And that's when the hovercraft came in. Boggs must have radioed for it…"

I suppose I should be relieved, that it was Mitchell who had died and not someone I was closer too. But I'm not. No one should have died. We were only supposed to be filming propo's….not fighting for our lives.

"Katniss, are you going to be ok?"

Finnick's voice breaks through my thoughts, and when I look I see both he and Prim are looking at me with worried expressions.

"Yeah" I say, and now it's my turn to attempt a reassuring voice "Yeah, I'm fine"

"Ok" says Finnick, though it doesn't look like he believes me "Because Coin wants to talk to us all after dinner, I think it's about the mission"

"Good" I say firmly "I want to know what's going on"

Finnick nods in agreement.

"We all do. I'll let you two get on with where you were headed then"

"We were going to get something to eat" says Prim, still eyeing me with worry.

"Really? I was just headed to get Annie to bring her for dinner" says Finnick.

"Well we'll meet you there then" I tell him , and he heads back down the corridor.

I'm not hungry, certainly not now but I let Prim lead me towards the cafeteria and the smell of food.

Finnick and Annie join us after five minutes, holding hands while Finnick caries both their meals on one tray. Annie smiles politely and asks how I'm doing, but after that none of us say much. I vaguely wonder where everyone else is. The room is fairly crowded as usually but our table is much emptier than I remember it. Gale is in hospital; Johanna is probably still there too. I've no idea where Delly will be. And Peeta, well God knows where he is. I try to eat quickly, to reduce the team before the meeting with Coin. Surely she'll tell us something useful about the mission, and if not then the meeting shouldn't take long. And I'll be able to visit Gale.

It's not until we're almost finish eating that Finnick snaps his fingers and says

"I knew I was forgetting something."

We all look at him expectantly, but he turns to me and says

"Peeta's looking for you"


End file.
